Dispensing receptacle



Dec. 25, 1945.

E. R. CREBBS DISPENSING RECEPTACLE Filed March 23, 1943 INVENTOR, EARL R. CREBBS.

Patented Dec. 25, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING RECEPTACLE Earl R. Crebbs, San Francisco, Calif. Application March 23, 1943, Serial No. 480,258

6 Claims. ('01. 206-58) My invention relates to dispensing receptacles and more particularly to receptacles for the dispensing of paper items such as towels, toilet seat covers and the like from a roll.

Dispensing receptacles, customarily employed in the dispensing of paper products from a roll, incorporate thereinmecham'sms such as springs or weights for resisting the unrolling of the sheet material to a degree which will cause the material to be dispensed under proper tension. The degree of tension is deemed proper when it is high enough to prevent free unrolling of material and yet not so high as to cause the material to tear, other than along a score line or tear line provided for the purpose. The permissible range of tension in any case is quite limited and this is particularly true with the dispensing of such items as toilet seat covers, which necessarily must be of thin tissue in order to render them disposable.

Among the objects of my invention are (1) To provide a novel and improved dispensing receptacle of simplified design.

(2) To provide a novel and improved dispensing receptacle in which the use of springs, weights, and the like is rendered unnecessary as a means for assuring proper tension in the dispensing of items from a roll carried in such receptacle.

(3) To provide a novel and improved dispensing receptacle which may be fabricated entirely from cardboard or correspondingly cheap material.

(4) To provide a novel and improved dispensing receptacle which will assure proper tension within a critical permissible range for the dispensing of sheet material from a roll.

(5) To provide a novel and improved dispensing receptacle capable of being fabricated economically.

Additional objects of my invention will be brought out in the following description of apreferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment .of my novel and improved dispensing receptacle.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken in the plane 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view, enlarged, from Fig. 3 showing a detail of construction thereof.

The receptacle 5, constructed to a length sufficient to comfortably receive a roll 1 of tissue, or the like, comprises a front wall 9, a rear wall I I, bottom l3, and joining end walls IS, the front wall being of less height than the rear and end walls, and carrying upon its upper edge l1, spaced upstandingtabs I9, preferably formed integral therewith. These spaced tabs are located in direct line with T slots (not shown) formed in the rolls of tissue or the like at the location of tear lines and serve to engage in such T slots as the material is withdrawn from a roll, thereby facilitating the separation of the tissues along such tear lines. Y

The tabs are preferably reinforced by wire staples 2| applied normal to and across the hinge line of the tabs to resist bending or breaking of these tabs as the tissues are drawn thereover in the operation of dispensing the same.

Within the container, I provide an inclined partition or false bottom 23, extending from the lower front corner 25 of the receptacle to the rear wall H, resting against the same and presenting a surface 21 at an angle to the inner surface 29 of the front wall. This angle is somewhat critical and may vary slightly for different materials. For toilet tissues, I have found this angle to be of the order of 150.

The roll 1 from which the material is to be dispensed is placed between these angularly disposed surfaces, withthe tissues unrolling from the front edge of the roll and being carried over the tabs l9 on the upper edge of the front wall. The force of gravity, tending to wedge the roll between the angularly disposed surface, introduces substantial resistance to rotation, it being noted that the roll rests firmly against two surfaces at all times. Such resistance, coupled with the drag of the tissues over the tabs, assures proper tension in the material being withdrawn. As the material is withdrawn from the roll and the roll becomes smaller. in diameter, it will automatically settle lower and lower into the angular space formed by the two surfaces, always maintaining the desired frictional contact against these two surfaces. v

As previously indicated, the angle between the two surfaces has been found in practice to be rather critical, in the successful dispensing of lightweight tissue such as toilet seat covers. I have noticed, however, on occasion, when a roll has been reduced down to the last few turns, somewhat erratic operation is apt to develop due to the lightness of the roll at this stage. By reason of such lightness, bouncing of the roll is apt to occur during the further withdrawal of tissue therefrom. This condition I have found could be cured by sloping the front wall inwardly a matter of 2 or 3 degrees from the vertical, while still retaining the substantially 50 degree relationship between the angularly disposed surfaces. This has a tendency to increase the snagging effect of the tabs upon the tissues, thereby reducing the lift upon the roll during dispensing. With the roll engaged surfaces adjusted, the dispensing of tissue from a roll can be efficiently realized.

Following the severance of a tissue along a previously prepared tear line, a decided natural tendency exists for the leading tissue of the roll to fall back into the receptacle. Were this permitted to occur following the severance of each tissue from a roll, the practical utility of the dispensing receptacle would necessarily be impaired. I have found that this natural tendency of the leading tissue of a roll to fall back into the receptacle can be turned to advantage in maintaining such tissue within a position convenient for grasping, preliminary to the withdrawal of the tissue from the dispensing receptacle. accomplished by providing a substantially stiff member presenting an edge parallel to the upper edge of the front wall, across the path of movement which the leading tissue would normally take in falling back into the receptacle, such member being preferably spaced from the front wall edge to permit freedom of withdrawal of the tissue from the receptacle. This spacing is of substantial importance in the dispensing of toilet seat covers particularly, as they are die cut to form interior flaps and tabs which introduce considerable looseness and play in the tissue during dispensing thereof.

Such member need not, and preferably does not, extend to the level of the upper edge of the front wall, for during the tearing of one tissue from another, it has been noted that the remaining tissue will be pulled sufficiently over the upper edge of the front wall as to engage the blocking edge in its attempt to fall back into the receptacle.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention as illustrated in my drawing, such edge 31 is provided by a closing flap constituting a part of a cover 35 for the receptacle, and lying in a plane slightly behind though preferably parallel to that of the front wall 9 and terminating above the level of the upper edge of the front wall, leaving a substantial space 36 through which to draw the tissues or the like.

The cover is hingedly secured to the upper edge of the rear wall H, as by adhesive tape 31, and preferably slopes downwardly toward the front wall, to discourage the parking of lighted cigarettes or other objects on the receptacle, the front corners of the cover being cut out to provide finger openings 39 for the grasping and removal of tissues. 7

From the above description of a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that I have developed a cheap and economical dispensing receptacle for the dispensing of tissues or the like from a roll, which receptacle is of simplified construction, and otherwise fulfills the ThisI- objects of my invention as previously set forth. While I have described this preferred embodiment in considerable detail, it is apparent that the same may be revised or altered without departing from the fundamental aspects of my invention, and I accordingly do not desire to be limited in my protection to the specific details described except as may be necessitated by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A receptacle for the dispensing of tissues or the like from a roll, comprising a front wall, a rear wall, said front wall sloping toward the rear wall at a slight angle to the vertical, and an inclined surface between said front and rear wall forming an acute angle with the inner surface of said front wall.

2. A receptacle for the dispensing of tissues or the like from a roll, comprising a front wall, a rear wall, said front wall sloping toward the rear wall at a slight angle of the order of 3 degrees to the vertical, and an inclined surface between said front and rear wall forming an acute angle of the order of 50 degrees with the inner surface of said front wall.

3. A receptacle for the dispensing of tissues or the like from a roll, comprising front, rear, bottom and end walls, said front wall having spaced upstanding tabs on the upper edge thereof for engagement in suitable slots provided in the tissues to arrest withdrawal of tissues at a tear line thereon.

4. A receptacle for the dispensing of tissues or the like from a roll, comprising front, rear, bottom and end walls, said front wall having spaced upstanding tabs on the upper edge thereof for engagement in suitable slots provided in the tissues to arrest withdrawal of tissues at a tear line thereon, and a staple across the hinge line of each tab to reinforce the same.

5. A receptacle for the dispensing of tissues or the like from a roll, comprising a front wall, a rear wall, said front wall being of less height than said rear wall and having a pair of spaced upstanding tissue-engaging tabs on the upper edge thereof, and a cover having a depending flap adjacent said front wall and terminating in an edge at approximately the level of said tabs and in spaced relationship to the upper edge of said front wall.

6. A receptacle for the dispensing of tissues or the like from a roll, comprising a front wall, a rear wall, said front wall being of less height than said rear wall and having a pair of spaced upstanding tissue-engaging tabs on the upper edge thereof, and a cover having a depending flap adjacent said frontwall and terminating in an edge at approximately the level of said tabs and in spaced relationship to the upper edge of said front wall, said cover also having cutouts at the front corners thereof to provide finger openings for the withdrawal of tissues from said, receptacle.

EARL R. CRE'BBS. 

